title: Acute lymphocytic leukemic transformation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia: substantiation by flow cytometry.
abstract: Acute leukemia, during the course of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, is a rare event and only a small fraction of such cases have been shown to be true transformations to acute lymphocytic leukemia. In one previous case, evidence suggested this was transformation of a single neoplastic clone. The present report describes the clinical and laboratory findings in a case of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in which an acute leukemic pattern evolved. The fluorescence-activated cell sorter provided the resolution needed to distinguish low numbers of surface immunoglobulins on the acute leukemic cells, verifying their identity as B lymphoblasts. Furthermore, a small population of large cells bearing the same light chain type as the acute leukemia cells were detected in the spleen 3 1/2 months before clinical or laboratory evidence of the onset of the acute leukemia.
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000276:immunology; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000097:blood*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains